It is well recognized that many tradespersons utilize portable cordless drills on a regular basis as they perform their work. It is also well recognized that while the tradesperson may utilize a cordless drill often while performing his/her work, they also need both hands free much of the time so they cannot carry the drill in their hands at all times. Thus, there is a need in the art for a drill holster which allows a user to carry a portable cordless drill on his/her person without having to carry the drill by hand.
To date, such holsters have been made and offered to tradespersons. U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,402 describes a drill holster which secures the drill with a strap which is attached to the inside backing portion of the holster and extends over the end or handle of the drill and attaches to the outside of the holster pocket. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,658 also describes a drill holster where a “wrap-around strap” is attached to the side of the holster proximate the body of the user and then the strap “wraps around” the drill to be removably attached to the outward facing side of the holster. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,914 also discloses a securing strap that is attached to the back side of the holster and extending over the end of the drill and is then attached to the outer surface of the front side of the holster to secure the drill in the holster.
It has been observed that the use of these “wrap-around” straps presents a few substantial shortcomings. One is that when the drill is located in the holster, the strap is free to “flop” around if not attached at its second end, and, therefore, the location of the unsecured strap is not always the same or predictable. This condition creates a hazard or obstruction when one is attempting to place a drill within the holster pocket as the strap can end up lying inside the pocket of the drill holster thereby obstructing the pocket during insertion of the drill. This then will require a user to use both hands to both (1) maintain a hold on the drill and (2) to locate, grab and remove the strap from the holster pocket so that the drill can be inserted therein. In addition, since the strap is attached to the side of the holster, it may be difficult to reach, find, and grab the strap with the same hand that is holding the drill for insertion into the pocket. Thus, this arrangement also requires using a hand other than the hand which holds and inserts the drill into the drill holster.
It is clearly evident that a need exists for a drill holster that provides a securing mechanism that does not fall into the pocket of the holster, provides a consistent and predictable location for reaching and grabbing at all times, and is easy to engage and disengage with one hand.
Further, existing drill holsters present another shortcoming with respect to being a universal drill holster capable of accommodating drills of various sizes and shapes including having differing chuck lengths and over-all lengths. For example, the drill holsters presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,402 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,658 include pockets or pouches that include a closed end which severely limits accommodating drills of various lengths or different chuck lengths. In addition, drill holsters like that of U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,914 include open ends, but the drill-chuck extends freely out of the end of the pocket and may poke or come directly in contact with the user's body while arranging the drill in the holster. Thus, there is also a need in the art for a drill holster that accommodates drills having different chuck lengths while preventing an extending chuck from contacting a user's body causing discomfort or injury.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a drill holster that provides a more consistent, predictable and easier securing mechanism allowing a one-handed insertion and securing of the drill in the drill holster.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a drill holster that accommodates drills having different chuck lengths while preventing an extending chuck from contacting a user's body.